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Captain ends dogged stand between Petersen and van der Dussen as tourists collapse after tea

Andrew Miller27-Aug-2022England 415 for 9 dec (Foakes 113*, Stokes 103) beat South Africa 151 (Anderson 3-32, Broad 3-37) and 179 (Petersen 42, Robinson 4-43) by 123 runsTest centuries and all that, sure, they’re nice. But for Ben Stokes, you get the sense that nothing can beat the sensation of a job well done that accompanied his down-and-dirty exploits on the third afternoon at Emirates Old Trafford.After the highs of his game-changing stand with Ben Foakes on Friday, came the low, visually at least, of England’s captain bending for breath between balls during his gut-busting 14-over spell, either side of the tea break. And yet, his apparently everyman figures of 2 for 30 were best expressed by the events that bookended them.Before Stokes’ intervention, South Africa’s fourth-wicket pairing, Keegan Petersen and Rassie van der Dussen, had endured for a doughty stand of 87, spanning 42.2 overs including the entire afternoon session, to give their side hope of a miraculous turnaround.Straight after Stokes, however, came England’s second new ball, and the sight of James Anderson and Ollie Robinson completing the job they had started with such surety in the long-distant morning session. On their watch, England ripped out the remaining five wickets in 31 balls before stumps, to square the series with an innings-and-85-run victory that was no less crushing than the one they had themselves suffered at Lord’s last week.And, in between whiles, came the interventions that made the victory surge possible, two moments of raw inspiration that their captain dredged from within himself, to rip apart South Africa’s burgeoning resistance and lay bare their futile prospects.Van der Dussen, who was subsequently confirmed to have suffered a broken left index finger that will rule him out of next week’s third Test, battled with huge resolve after arriving at an uncompromising 54 for 3 in the 14th over of the day – often removing his top hand on impact as England probed his stumps and forced him to dig deep for the cause. But, after 20 minutes of cooling off during the interval, he was lured outside his eyeline as Stokes shaped one away at good pace, and Foakes behind the stumps plucked a priceless chance.One over later, and Stokes produced an even more awesome moment. Petersen had been bloodless in his resolve in the middle session, denying himself any attacking impetus as he set himself and his team for survival. But Stokes’ response was a sizzling lifter – fast, straight and climbing wickedly off the seam and into his gloves as he tried to rear out of harm’s way.At 151 for 5, with 2 for 19 in eight overs, Stokes could arguably have pulled himself out there and then, the glory moment secure, and handed the attack back to his frontline quicks. But with the ball now 68 overs old, he instead took it upon himself to shoulder the burden for the remainder of its 80-over life. Within 5.1 overs of the replacement, his instinct was proven to be spot on.The end came with startling speed. After a chastening match with the ball, Simon Harmer had got himself into line with determination throughout his 48-ball stay. But Anderson’s second delivery with the new ball was simply too good – full, straight, seaming, and decisive, as it burst through the gate into the top of the off stump.Robinson responded with equal authority – his fourth ball climbed at Keshav Maharaj for a sharp edge to Ollie Pope at fourth slip, and from there it was a race to the bottom. Anderson found Kagiso Rabada’s edge for Joe Root to stoop at first slip, before Robinson wrapped up the collapse by delivering back-to-back ducks on Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi, and seal impressive comeback figures of 4 for 43.And so ended another one-sided three-day Test, although it was a significantly more compelling day of action than might have been envisaged after the first hour of action.South Africa had fought hard on the second evening, following England’s first-innings declaration, to reach 23 for 0 at the close. But that resilience was unpicked with haste upon the resumption, with their captain and linchpin Dean Elgar falling within 15 minutes of the resumption – brilliantly outfoxed by Anderson, whose 662nd Test wicket took him to 949 in all internationals, bringing him level with Glenn McGrath as the most prolific seamer across formats. By the day’s end, of course, he was out on his own at the top.Opening up from his very own End, Anderson needed just four deliveries to line up Elgar and send him on his way for the sixth time in Test cricket. The third of those jagged wickedly from round the wicket and lifted past Elgar’s splice; the next, a fraction fuller, skidded straight past a now-crease-bound batter, to pluck out his off stump for 11.Sarel Erwee was similarly out-thought, as Robinson switched to round the wicket from over, and confounded his alignment with the perfect full length. And then came Broad – relegated to first-change status for this match but gagging for his slice of the action.Within five balls, Broad trimmed Aiden Markram’s bails with the ball of the Test so far, only for the third umpire to belatedly call no-ball. Nonplussed but undeterred, Broad settled for luring Markram outside off in his second over instead… but pointedly curbed his enthusiasm until he’d received word from umpire Chris Gaffeney that his front foot had been given a clean bill of health.And that could have been that, especially with van der Dussen visibly hampered. But, with watchfulness to the fore, he and Petersen set their sights on survival.However, England’s grip on the contest was not exactly loosened in a middle session that yielded just 53 runs, with 123 still needed for parity by tea. With his spinner, Jack Leach, bowling dry from the James Anderson End, conceding 19 runs in as many overs, Stokes was able to rotate his seamers with attacking fields, including close catchers at silly mid-off and mid-on, and keep them fresh for the new ball.Six of those pre-tea overs were from Stokes himself – a tight, channelled burst of aggression that yielded just eight runs and a constant threat of reverse-swing, including a thin snick off van der Dussen in the penultimate over of the session that England failed to notice. But it mattered not in the final analysis. After the break, everything came flooding out, as England squared the rubber in the style that their captain has ordained.

Mumbai opener has not been in India contention recently, but has piled on the runs in the last two months for Mumbai, West Zone and India A

Shashank Kishore14-Oct-2022″Disappointed” at not being picked in India’s ODI squad for the South Africa series that finished last week, Prithvi Shaw smashed his maiden T20 century – a 61-ball 134 – against Assam at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Friday.Shaw, who is captaining the side in Rajkot with Ajinkya Rahane absent, hit 13 fours and nine sixes in his innings to help Mumbai post 230 for 3 after being put into bat. Friday’s knock followed scores of 29 and an unbeaten 55 against Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram previously.”I was disappointed. I am scoring runs, doing a lot of hard work, but not getting a chance,” Shaw had told earlier this month. “But it’s alright. When they [national selectors] feel I am ready, they will play me. Whatever opportunities I get, whether it is for India ‘A’ or other teams, I will make sure I do my best and keep my fitness levels up to the mark.”Over the past year, Shaw has slipped down the pecking order as far as openers for the national team go. He last played for India on the tour of Sri Lanka in July 2021 and hasn’t come close to being picked since. Shaw also had a relatively lean IPL 2022 for Delhi Capitals, scoring just 283 runs in 10 innings, with two half-centuries. He also missed four games towards the end of the season due to typhoid.In the time away, Shaw’s red-ball stocks have fallen considerably, with the national selectors preferring Priyank Panchal and Abhimanyu Easwaran as the India A openers for the first-class games against New Zealand A. Shaw was also left out of the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup that finished late last month. On his part, Shaw has used the time away to work on his fitness.”I did not work on different things in my batting, but did a lot of fitness work,” he said, when asked of the work he’d done during the off-season. “I worked on weight loss and reduced by seven to eight kgs after the last IPL. I spent a lot of time in the gym, did a lot of running, didn’t consume any sweets and cold drinks. Chinese food is totally out of my menu now.”Since the start of this season, he’s been in good form. Having begun with a bruising 113 for West Zone in their Duleep Trophy opener against Northeast, he followed that up with scores of 60 and 142 against a competent Central Zone attack, consisting of Ankit Rajpoot, Aniket Choudhary and Kumar Kartikeya, in the semi-finals. Then part of India A’s one-day squad that played New Zealand A in Chennai, Shaw smacked a 48-ball 77 to help clinch the series.”I am working hard on my game, fitness and performing consistently as well. Everything is on track, [but] let’s see. I am not thinking too much about the future. Whatever opportunities I am getting, I am trying my best.”

Netherlands now rely on UAE beating Namibia to stay in the tournament

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Oct-2022Sri Lanka rode on Kusal Mendis’ outstanding 79 off 44 to reach 162 for 6 on a sluggish surface, before their spinners cut Netherlands down – Wanindu Hasaranga getting into fine wicket-taking form ahead of the main draw of the tournament.Although Netherlands were never really ahead of the game, opener Max O’Dowd kept them in the hunt for the duration, getting the requirement for the last over down to 23, following Maheesh Theekshana’s wayward 19th, which cost 16 runs.But seamer Lahiru Kumara held his nerve in the final burst, and Sri Lanka secured a 16-run win, and a place in the next round. Which group they end up in will depend on the results of the evening match between Namibia and UAE.Netherlands will watch that match with particular interest. They need UAE to beat Namibia to get into the next round. The net run rates do not matter – only the result.Mendis feasts on Netherlands’ leg-side offerings
On a pitch that did not allow batters to hit cleanly through the line, and on a ground where the square boundaries are significantly shorter than the straight ones, you probably shouldn’t bowl at leg stump. You especially shouldn’t stray down leg if the batter is Kusal Mendis – an excellent hitter to that side.Mendis got his first boundary via a miscued heave over midwicket in the third over, and he kept finding the ropes in that arc between cow corner and fine leg. He hit each of his five sixes over this region, pulling, slog sweeping, and in the 12th over, wristily flicking Timm van der Gugten into the stands beyond fine leg. He hit five fours too, only two of them on the off side. Sixty-four of his 79 came on the leg side.Through the course of this knock, which went right into the 20th over, Mendis forged several good partnerships, the most fruitful of which was the 60 off 45 alongside Charith Asalanka, whose contribution was 31 off 30. Mendis’ innings meant Sri Lanka made an above-par score on a difficult track.Max O’Dowd’s 71* off 53 went in vain•AFP/Getty Images

Hasaranga decks Netherlands’ middle order
Sri Lanka were already in control before Hasaranga came to the bowling crease, having kept Netherlands to 40 for 2 in the powerplay. But although he conceded seven runs off his first two balls, Hasaranga was quickly among the wickets. He had Colin Ackerman caught and bowled off the leading edge third ball, after the batter failed to adequately play Hasaranga’s googly. Van der Gugten and Fred Klaassen were also bowled by the googly, later in the innings, giving Hasaranga 3 for 28 from his four overs.O’Dowd makes a game of it
With Theekshana also getting wickets, and Sri Lanka fielding well, it did not seem like Netherlands had the measure of their target. O’Dowd did his best to defy the opposition, however, hitting 71 not out off 53 balls.He wasn’t particularly proactive in the first ten overs, hitting just 23 off 21 with two fours. As wickets fell around him in the middle overs, he remained happy to play a measured innings. In fact, at the end of the 17th over, O’Dowd was still 38 off 35 balls, with only three boundaries to his name. Netherlands needed 54 off 18, and had only two wickets left.And yet, O’Dowd, with the help of some Sri Lanka indiscipline, made half a game of it. He hit a six and two fours off successive deliveries from Binura Fernando to reap 15 in the 18th over and then bashed Theekshana for two sixes (one off a no-ball) next over to keep victory within their reach. Theekshana helped out by bowling three extras in a row at the start of this over.But 23 off Kumara, in the company of a hobbling Roelof van der Merwe (who came in at No. 11), proved too much. O’Dowd managed one four over backward point, but only six came off that over.

In his upcoming autobiography, the Pakistan great has detailed his struggles with the habit, which he says ended when his first wife died in 2009

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2022Wasim Akram has opened up on his struggle with a cocaine addiction after his playing career ended, in his upcoming autobiography .Akram, Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker in both Test and ODI cricket, retired in 2003 after an 18-year international career, but continued to travel the world on commentary and coaching assignments. The cocaine habit, he says, began after he retired, when he started to crave a “a substitute for the adrenaline rush of competition”, and ended after the death of his first wife Huma in 2009.Extracts from his book, published alongside an interview in , paint a frank picture of Akram’s slide into addiction.”I liked to indulge myself; I liked to party,” he writes. “The culture of fame in south Asia is all consuming, seductive and corrupting. You can go to ten parties a night, and some do. And it took its toll on me. My devices turned into vices.”Worst of all, I developed a dependence on cocaine. It started innocuously enough when I was offered a line at a party in England; my use grew steadily more serious, to the point that I felt I needed it to function.”It made me volatile. It made me deceptive. Huma, I know, was often lonely in this time . . . she would talk of her desire to move to Karachi, to be nearer her parents and siblings. I was reluctant. Why? Partly because I liked going to Karachi on my own, pretending it was work when it was actually about partying, often for days at a time.”Huma eventually found me out, discovering a packet of cocaine in my wallet . . . ‘You need help.’ I agreed. It was getting out of hand. I couldn’t control it. One line would become two, two would become four; four would become a gram, a gram would become two. I could not sleep. I could not eat. I grew inattentive to my diabetes, which caused me headaches and mood swings. Like a lot of addicts, part of me welcomed discovery: the secrecy had been exhausting.”Akram retired with 414 wickets in Test cricket and 502 in ODIs – both remain Pakistan records•AFP

Akram went into rehab, finding the experience distressing – “The doctor was a complete con man, who worked primarily on manipulating families rather than treating patients, on separating relatives from money rather than users from drugs” – and ended up relapsing.”Try as I might, part of me was still smouldering inside about the indignity of what I’d been put through. My pride was hurt, and the lure of my lifestyle remained. I briefly contemplated divorce. I settled for heading to the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy where, out from under Huma’s daily scrutiny, I started using again.”Akram says the cocaine use ended after Huma’s death in October 2009 from the rare fungal infection mucormycosis.”Huma’s last selfless, unconscious act was curing me of my drug problem. That way of life was over, and I have never looked back.”Akram has since remarried, and has three children – two sons from his first marriage and a daughter from his second. In his interview with , he said he had written his book for his children.”I’m a bit anxious about the book,” he said, “but I think once it is out, I’ll be kind of over it. I’m anxious because at my age, I’m 56 and I’ve been diabetic for 25 years, it is just stress, you know . . . it was tough to revisit all the things. I’ve done it for my two boys, who are 25 and 21, and my seven-year-old daughter, just to put my side of the story.”

The trio scored half-centuries to give the Indians a shot at an innings victory

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2022
Bangladesh A were left needing another final-day rescue act after India A took a lead of 261 runs in the second unofficial Test in Sylhet. The hosts were 49 for 2 at stumps on the third day after India A declared their first innings on 562 for 9.Bangladesh A had started well though, with Musfik Hasan removing India A captain Abhimanyu Easwaran for 157 in the sixth over of the day. Easwaran struck 14 fours and two sixes in an innings that spanned more than seven hours. Jayant Yadav and Saurabh Kumar then put together 86 for the seventh wicket to push the Indians closer to 500. Saurabh was particularly aggressive, hitting seven fours and two sixes in his 55 off 39 balls. Jayant and No. 10 Navdeep Saini also scored half-centuries to grind Bangladesh A’s attack.Saini stuck around for an hour and 36 minutes to score his maiden first-class fifty. He added an unbroken 68-run partnership for the tenth wicket with Mukesh Kumar before Easwaran called them back.Left-arm spinner Murad and rookie fast bowler Musfik took three wickets each, while Sumon Khan finished with two wickets.Bangladesh A lost their first-match hero Zakir Hasan in the fifth over when Umesh Yadav bowled him for 12. Mahmudul Hasan Joy then fell for 10, ending the two-match series with just 44 runs.Shadman and Mominul Haque, however, saw Bangladesh through to stumps without any further damage. The final day looms as a vital one for Mominul who needs some runs, ahead of the first Test against India next week.

Aggressive approach inspired by senior team helps fuel tense final day in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2023England U19 314 (Singh 67, Hurst 55) and 254 (McKinney 70, Foreman 58*) beat Australia U19 268 (Singh 64, Anderson 53, Foreman 4-66) and 276 (Blackford 106, Kelly 5-69) by 24 runsBen McKinney, the England men’s Under-19s opener, said that his team had taken inspiration from Ben Stokes’ seniors after securing a first Youth Test victory in Australia since 2003.England’s 24-run victory came on a tense final day in Brisbane, as Australia – 142 for 4 overnight, chasing 301 – were bowled out for 276 with the Hampshire seamer, Dominic Kelly, claiming figures of 5 for 69.Kelly’s wickets included the crucial dismissal of Australia’s top-scorer Liam Blackford, who had reduced the deficit to 34 before he was ninth man out for 106, with McKinney himself claiming the catch that exposed the tail.”We got ahead of the game and took a good initiative, which is how we want to play in every game,” McKinney said after the match. “We took a few risks, but we always felt we could bowl them out. We were pretty confident, and then we had a great finish on the final day.”Despite the final-day tension, England had held the upper hand for much of the match. They secured a useful first-innings lead of 46, thanks to half-centuries from Harry Singh and Matthew Hurst and a four-wicket haul for Bertie Foreman, then pressed along at five runs an over in setting Australia’s target of 301.McKinney, England’s white-ball captain, set the tempo from the top of the order with 70 from 45 balls, while Foreman’s unbeaten 58 from 59 balls at No.10 helped lift the total from a dicey 172 for 8 to 254 all out.”It was quite tough early on, but the boys did well in the middle and worked hard for a good score,” McKinney said. “That first innings was the only score above 300 all match. Then we bowled them out in less than a day, which really helped us get some control. The way we went about it was pretty aggressive. We had good fields and our approach was different to what they wanted to try to do.”We’re going to follow suit from the England Men’s senior team,” he added. “We’ve got the skill level already, but this approach also helps your skills to progress because you’re not worried too much: you’re just focused on your strengths. That’s the best way to play. The last time the men’s U19s won in Australia was 2003, and maybe this approach is the difference. I think our aggressive intent definitely helped us win this Test.”England and Australia meet again in Brisbane next week for the second Test, before three ODIs and a T20I, and McKinney said the experience of the trip was already proving invaluable, ahead of a 2023 home summer in which he hopes to break into Durham’s first team.”It’s been so good,” he said. “Obviously, the main goal was to win every single game, the next match is the next big test.”It’s my first time in Australia and it’s a great place to be. But the tour is about winning. Our reaction when the last wicket fell showed that. But when we’re playing this way, it’s also helping us to socialise and get together as a team.”The main thing I’ve learned to face is the length of time you’re away from home,” he added. “I’ve never been away for 35 days before. That’s the toughest part. You’ve got to learn when to switch on and when to switch off. While you’ve got to concentrate on your game, you’ve also got to know how and when to step away. It’s about keeping your confidence level high, and all the boys are doing that so far.”England’s last Youth Test victory over Australia featured a team boasting five future international players – Ravi Bopara, Samit Patel, Luke Wright, Liam Plunkett and Tim Bresnan – who defeated their Under-19 counterparts by 14 runs in Adelaide.

“He just has that different look in his eye this year – you can see that he’s probably hungrier than ever,” Ponting says after spending time with Shaw

Sreshth Shah24-Mar-2023Ricky Ponting feels IPL 2023 could be the season the “real Prithvi Shaw” turns up.”He’s trained harder and better than I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure leading into an IPL, he is in better physical shape than I’ve ever seen him before,” Ponting told reporters in Delhi on Friday. “And I spoke to him the other day about his attitude and the way that he’s working and how things are going. I honestly feel that this is going to be his biggest season ever in the IPL.”He just has that different look in his eye this year – you can see that he’s probably hungrier than ever. Yes he’s had some success for us, but I think with the level of talent and ability that he’s got, I think we’re going to see the real Prithvi Shaw this season.”Related

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Shaw has played five IPL seasons with Delhi Capitals, with 2021 his best, when he scored 479 runs at an average of 31.93 and a strike rate of 159.14. Barring that, he has largely been inconsistent, with a tournament average of 25.21 and a strike rate of 147.45, but he was retained by the side ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.Over the past 18 months, Shaw has had an up-and-down time, falling off the pace as a contender for a spot in India’s white-ball squads initially, and then struggling with his fitness. He last represented India in July 2021.However, he bounced back in the 2022-23 domestic season with consistent scores for West Zone, India A and Mumbai, with big hundreds in the Duleep Trophy, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Ranji Trophy, which translated into his inclusion in the T20I squad in January. His 383-ball 379 against Assam is the second-highest Ranji score of all time.Most recently, though, Shaw was in the news when there was an alleged attack on him and his car, a matter that is being dealt by the police.Ponting, who is no stranger to trouble outside the field from his playing days, said that whether there had been issues outside the field, the one thing he can’t stand is lazy players who do not utilise the talent they possess. On that front, Ponting felt Shaw had been ticking all the right boxes.”It’s well documented that I had some issues early on, but it’s all about just being true to yourself and wanting to be the best that you can be,” Ponting said. “The one thing that I always say to our players is I don’t like laziness and I don’t like guys not utilising the talent that they’ve got. That’s one thing I always say.”And so that’s then my job as a coach. If I can see that guys aren’t working as hard as they should, they’re not getting the most out of them, then it’s up to me to try and change that. So, you know, it just seems to me that this season, though, something has really clicked in Prithvi. He seems to be in a better space than ever before.”Ponting has worked closely with Shaw since taking over the head coach’s role. In 2021, he had said that he hadn’t seen a batter as talented as Shaw in all his years in cricket, but also revealed that he disagreed with Shaw’s philosophy about practice, where he didn’t bat in the nets when he was struggling with form.Now, two years on, Ponting believes that his job as a head coach is as much about making the young squad members better people as it is about making them better cricketers. He said that cricketers having their personal lives in order allows them to be disciplined sportspersons on the field too.1:27

Ponting: No Pant leaves big hole, still undecided on wicketkeeper

“The thing about the IPL is you’re seeing so many younger players getting an opportunity. They’re maybe not ready for it. I mean, I think they’re ready for the cricket side of it, but a lot of the guys are not ready for what comes with that,” Ponting said. “There wasn’t as much spotlight on me, I guess, back as a young player as there is on some of the young Indian guys.”As a player, sometimes you want to play cricket, you want to get out there and represent your team, represent your franchise, and represent your country, but sometimes you don’t see the bigger picture of it. There’s a bigger picture out there than just you playing cricket. It’s how everyone else perceives you in the real world.”So that’s my job to make them better players, but at the end of the day, I want to make them better people as well. That’s a big part. The better person you are, I think it’s easier to become a better player. And if you haven’t got your personal life in order off the field, it’s really difficult to be a disciplined performer on the field. So that’s one of the things that I try to teach because I’ve been there and done it.”Capitals begin their IPL 2023 campaign away at Lucknow Super Giants on April 1, looking to improve from their fifth-place finish last season. They have named David Warner as captain in the absence of the injured Rishabh Pant, with Axar Patel named vice-captain.

Caleb Jewell and Beau Webster put Tasmania in a strong position

AAP14-Mar-2023Queensland’s decision to send Tasmania in to bat at Bellerive Oval failed to pay dividends thanks to half-centuries from Caleb Jewell and Beau Webster.The in-form Jewell seemed set for a third century is as many outings for Tasmania, only to fall for 98 after a 228-ball innings.Webster ended the day unbeaten on 91, having struck 11 boundaries in a 157-ball knock. He was joined at the crease by Tim Paine, on 41 not out.Queensland, who are in a tense battle with Victoria for a spot in next week’s Shield final, commenced the day disastrously with the loss of strike bowler Michael Neser.The Test paceman was ruled out minutes before the start after suffering an ankle injury during the warm-up, with Liam Guthrie coming into the side in his place. To compounded Queensland’s woes, Mark Steketee could only manage 10 overs before limping off with a hip problem.Jewell, having hit three figures in his last Shield and One-Day Cup outings, fell to the new ball after edging a Guthrie delivery to Joe Burns at first slip.The 25-year-old left-hander had shared in two century partnerships, putting on 104 with Jake Doran (58) for the second wicket, and then 120 with Webster for the fifth.Left-armer Guthrie made the most of his eleventh-hour inclusion and made a double breakthrough after lunch, with two wickets in three balls knocking over Mac Wright and captain Jordan Silk for a duck.Steketee, the Shield’s second-highest wicket-taker after Neser, struck in just the third over removing Tim Ward for 2, but had little further joy despite the green-tinged wicket.Second-placed Queensland must at least equal Victoria’s result against Western Australia in Perth if they are to secure a spot in the season decider.

Conway and Dube made merry as well as a record-equalling 33 sixes were hit at the Chinnaswamy

Deivarayan Muthu17-Apr-20232:10

Are RCB over-reliant on their top-three?

In February earlier this year Faf du Plessis was back in yellow, leading Jo’burg Super Kings to the inaugural SA20 semi-finals along with coach Stephen Fleming. Two months on in the IPL, du Plessis, in red and gold, launched an audacious assault with Glenn Maxwell as Royal Challengers Bangalore threatened to mow down 227 against Fleming and MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Kohli fined 10% of his match fee

Virat Kohli was fined for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during RCB’s fixture against CSK on Monday. “Kohli admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.2 of the Code of Conduct,” said an IPL release. The statement did not go into details about the incident. “For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee’s decision is final and binding,” the release further added.

After Super Kings had posted 226 for 6 on the back of Devon Conway’s 45-ball 83 and Shivam Dube’s 27-ball 52, they struck early through their Impact Player Akash Singh to dismiss Virat Kohli for 6 in the first over. Mahipal Lomror then fell to Tushar Deshpande in the next over, but du Plessis and Maxwell then tore into Super Kings’ inexperienced seamers to power them to 75 for 2 in the powerplay.Royal Challengers doubled that score by the 14th over, with du Plessis – bruised rib and all – riding his luck to push them even further ahead. Du Plessis had been dropped on 0, by Dhoni behind the stumps, and then on 52 by Maheesh Theekshana off his own bowling. Super Kings dropped two more catches in a lax fielding effort, but late wickets and nifty variations from the Sri Lankan pair of Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana saved the day for them.Theekshana had got rid of Maxwell for 76 off 36 balls with a fizzing 104kph carrom ball in a boundary-less over. Pathirana, who had been taken for 26 off ten balls from Maxwell, had Shahbaz Ahmed holing out in an 18th over that cost just runs to go with that wicket.Royal Challengers’ Impact Player Suyash Prabhudessai then heaved Deshpande for six in the 19th over, but Pathirana successfully defended 18 off the final over with his slingy, on-pace yorkers and slower cutters. He had Prabhudessai caught at deep midwicket last ball with his bowling coach Dwayne Bravo applauding him from the dugout.

Conway, Rahane turn up the tempo

Mohammed Siraj excelled in the powerplay once again, giving up just six runs in his two overs while claiming the wicket of Ruturaj Gaikwad for 3. Conway and Ajinkya Rahane, too, had started slowly, but they turned up the tempo in the fifth over, bowled by rookie seamer Vyshak Vijaykumar. Conway manufactured a scooped four while Rahane hit the roof of the Chinnaswamy Stadium with a 91-metre six.Rahane then cracked Wayne Parnell for 4,6,4 in the last over of the powerplay, taking Super Kings up to 53 for 1 in six overs. He tried to keep up the attacking intent against Wanindu Hasaranga, but the wristspinner bested him with a wrong’un.3:07

Jaffer: Feeling secure at CSK has probably helped Rahane

Dube dazzles

Hasaranga bowled only two overs and didn’t return after dismissing Rahane because Super Kings had promoted their left-handed spin-hitter Dube to No.4 once again. Royal Challengers matched Dube up with Maxwell, but he got going by launching his own six into the roof of the ground.Conway brought up back-to-back half-centuries and looked good for a maiden IPL hundred, but Harshal Patel eventually cleaned him up for 83 with a dipping yorker. With Royal Challengers not having an out-and-out fast bowler in their ranks, Dube continued to find or clear the boundary. He charged to a 25-ball fifty before Parnell had him holing out in the 17th over.

The drama at the death

Despite the loss of Ambati Rayudu in the next over, Super Kings seemed on track for a total of 230. Siraj, however, nailed his wide yorkers in the 19th over that cost ten runs.Harshal started the final over, which was closed out by stand-in captain Maxwell; du Plessis was off the field during that time because of a side strain.After Harshal bowled two beamers, he had to be taken out of the attack. Maxwell brought himself into the attack, ahead of Hasaranga, and conceded nine runs, including a wide, for the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja off the last four balls.Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell controlled the chase after the early wickets•Associated Press

The du Plessis-Maxwell show

Royal Challengers were two down in two overs, but they still flew out of the blocks, thanks to du Plessis and Maxwell. They played to their strengths, with du Plessis taking down pace and Maxwell spin. Du Plessis was responsible for 45 of the 75 runs Royal Challengers had scored in the powerplay.Maxwell then took centrestage, lining up both Jadeja and Theekshana. Maxwell didn’t spare Pathirana either after the powerplay, shanking him for a 94-metre six over square leg.The pair took their team to 141 off 2 in 12 overs. Eighty-six from eight overs is a manageable ask at the Chinnaswamy, but Theekshana had Maxwell skying behind to set the scene for Super Kings’ comeback.